


Appreciation

by szczepter



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Fluff, M/M, idek again
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-24
Updated: 2014-02-24
Packaged: 2018-01-13 15:13:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1231177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/szczepter/pseuds/szczepter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Some things just need to be said.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Appreciation

Kuroko valued words. 

Considering the fact that he talked rarely it was a great surprise. He was a quiet and reserved person, which could often be mistaken for being shy or boring. Kagami realized quickly that Kuroko didn't speak too much, not because he didn't have anything interesting to say, but because he valued words and didn't waste them on idle talk.

Kagami was the opposite. He talked a lot and he knew he was loud in every sense of the word. Some might think of him as a smooth talker, but the truth was that he was always awkward with words, while Kuroko always knew what to say in a given situation. 

They weren't direct opposites, but as cliché as it was, there was stark contrast in their personalities in that aspect.

And yeah, Kagami was more of an 'actions speak louder than words' type of person, because it was safer and saved you the unnecessary embarrassment along the way. 

Kuroko was...well similar. Kind of. He definitely used actions often to express himself as Kagami did. But there were also the words. 

The boy often said things which made Kagami raise an eyebrow in disbelief or double take at the sheer bizarreness, and yes sometimes even feel embarrassment. 

Sometimes it was like Kuroko didn't have a filter, only that couldn't be true. Kuroko had his little unspoken secrets, of that Kagami was sure. 

* * *

 

"Kuroko."

"Yes?" Kuroko ask looking up at Kagami with a curious glint in his eyes. 

They were in the middle of practice for the Winter Cup, their defeat by Touou and Aomine still fresh in their minds, giving them additional determination. 

Kagami learned of Kuroko's power with words just a few days prior, when the boy confronted him and cleared their "little" misunderstanding. 

"I-" Kagami started and then stopped. He was utterly useless at showing verbal appreciation. But after that talk, he still had a nagging feeling in his gut that he should have said something  _more._

_You're different, Kagami-kun._

_You trusted me._

_I don't want to make someone else the best._

"I'm-" Kagami started again lamely. Kuroko kept looking up at him patiently. 

Kagami exhaled and licked his lips nervously. 

"I'm just..It's that...aaah damn." Kuroko cocked his head to the side and peered at him. 

"I just wanted to say that...It's good to have you on the team okay?" He finished the sentence probably more harshly then he intended, and in an attempt to soothe the effect patted Kuroko awkwardly on the head.

"That's all." He grumbled and walked off. 

 _Jesus Christ that was so lame._ He thought to himself, hiding his face in his hands when he was out of eyesight. 

Kuroko meanwhile fixed his hair and grinned lightly, a bubble of warmth forming in his chest. 

* * *

 

Kagami realized that Kuroko sometimes talked in a code. 

It wasn't any fancy or complicated code, but some people did have problems with understanding it. 

Kagami had them too. That's why it took him so much time to decode that one particular message. 

_I'm glad that I met you._

He almost forgot all about it. They had more pressing matters to worry about after all. 

The last buzzer was like a punch to the gut, or maybe it was Kuroko's happy, blinding smile which was aimed at him from the other side of the court. Kagami felt himself move on autopilot. He vaguely felt his teammates slap his shoulders or back and hear them yell in ecstatic happiness. 

Kuroko's smile faltered a bit when he saw Kagami approach, and only then he realized that he wasn’t smiling. He fixed that quickly and saw Kuroko return his grin. And then he put one hand on Kuroko's shoulder, the other tilting the boys face up. He breathed once, feeling his cheeks redden. 

"I...I'm glad I met you too." He saw Kuroko's eyes widen slightly before he leaned in to close the distance. 

Kuroko went still for a moment and Kagami panicked that maybe he misunderstood, but then Kuroko grabbed the back of his head and returned the kiss and any doubt flew out of his head. 

* * *

 

Kagami was awkward with words; he preferred to express his affection with actions. This would still be true, even years later. The only thing which was more awkward was dealing with verbal affection aimed at himself. 

Which was something Kuroko explored mercilessly and with pure delight. 

Kagami sighed and lowered the volume of the movie a bit when he saw Kuroko slump boneless against his arm. Kuroko sighed, half asleep and snuggled a little closer.

“Hey, Tetsuya?” Kagami said and waited for any form of acknowledgment from the boy.

It came only in the form of soft breathing.

Kagami released the breath he was holding. Technically this was cheating, but Kagami still was self-conscious about this relationship, and he really didn’t want to fuck it up.

So small steps and a bit of cheating would have to do.

“Tetsuya.” He repeated, but all Kuroko uttered was a sleepy murmur.

“I love you.” He murmured, so low he himself wasn’t sure he said the words.

Kuroko stirred, exhaled once and continued sleeping. Kagami gently extracted his arm and wrapped it around the boy.

A few hours later, when he himself was swimming between awake and asleep, he felt something warm – a blanket? – being draped over him and then Kuroko snuggling comfortably next to him, tucking his head under Kagami’s chin.

 They breathed for a moment in unison before Kuroko pressed his mouth to Kagami’s throat.

“I love Taiga too.” He said and left a soft kiss.

Kagami felt his chest swell and cheeks redden, but he found Kuroko’s hand under the blanket and gave it a firm squeeze.

Yes, actions spoke louder than words, as the saying went.

But some things needed to be said anyway.


End file.
